Loyal to Lebanon’s opposition on Thursday began removing roadblocks on the highway leading to Beirut‘s international airport, paving the way for commercial flights to resume, an AFP correspondent said.  A MEA plane was set to arrive in the early evening, the first commercial flight since incoming and outgoing services were suspended a week ago. "An MEA flight from Paris is scheduled to arrive from Paris at 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) and will depart to Larnaca, Cyprus at 8:30 pm," an airport official said.  Crowds of people gathered on a bridge overhead to watch as tractors piled sand and rock into trucks as they dismantled the roadblocks."The airport is the pulse and life of the country," said Samih Karneb, 45. "At least now there won’t be any more shows of force. Each side knows their size." Abbas, 26, said that opening the airport motorway was "a beautiful sight," while a soldier standing nearby disagreed, telling AFP that "it shouldn’t have come to this in the first place. "Are we supposed to be happy about this?" he asked.

 Arab mediators unveiled a deal on Thursday to defuse a long-running feud between rival political factions. Under the agreement announced after two days of intensive talks, the factions agreed to relaunch a dialogue to end a paralysing political crisis that boiled over into six days of deadly sectarian gunbattles last week.  Under a six-point plan announced by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, the rivals agreed to go to Qatar on Friday to begin a national dialogue to try to elect a president and form a national unity government. "May 15 is normally a day we consider a sad one because of the memories it evokes," said Arab League chief Amr Mussa, referring to the creation of the Jewish state 60 years ago which is regarded as a "catastrophe" by Arabs. "But this May 15, 2008 was witness to an important step forward on the Lebanese scene because of the success towards relaunching dialogue and a return to normal life and an accord between all the parties." Under Thursday’s deal, the rivals agreed to launch a dialogue "to shore up the authority of the Lebanese state throughout the country," to refrain from using weapons to further political aims and to remove armed militants from the streets. It also called for the removal of all roadblocks that have paralysed air traffic and closed major highways, and for the rivals to refrain from using language that could incite violence. Hopes of a deal were raised after the government, in a major climbdown, on Wednesday cancelled controversial measures against Hezbollah that had triggered the latest unrest  in the counbtry. Parliament is scheduled to convene on June 10 for its 20th attempt to elect a president.

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The security outlook in Lebanon continued to improve on Wednesday, amid a tumultuous political situation and a whirlwind of mediation efforts. Southeast of Beirut, the Lebanese Aarmed Forces (LAF) detonated unexploded hand grenades in Choueifat as part of a deployment to the Aley and Chouf districts, which were the scene of intense clashes over the weekend between Progressive Socialist Party and opposition fighters.  The Zahle district in the central Bekaa region also saw a relative return to normalcy, with the reopening of several roads shut off last week by government supporters. Despite clashes and reports of brutality in Tripoli during the past few days, a security source told The Daily Star that the security outlook in and around the Northern port city has improved markedly, with LAF deployments resulting in a citywide clamp-down on violence. An overnight explosion was reported, but it appears that this was due to an overloaded electricity generator. In a measure aimed at easing the burden of citizens affected by the violence, the Internal Security Forces released a statement Tuesday announcing that "all ISF bureaus and stations" will be open for the airing of complaints and assuring citizens that "appropriate and necessary measures will be taken to mitigate any existing difficulties."  In other security-related news, the LAF’s commander, General Michel Suleiman, met with US Charge d’Affaires to Lebanon Michele Sison and a US Central Command (CENTCOM) delegation headed by acting CENTCOM commander Lieutenant General Martin E. Dempsey in order to discuss a possible shoring up of the Lebanese military’s capabilities.

–An Arab League delegation late Wednesday continued talks with Lebanese rivals in a bid to reach a settlement to deadly sectarian clashes that have driven Lebanon close to civil war. "The delegation is continuing its talks with the Lebanese rivals with optimism," a member close to the Arab delegation told Deutsche Press-Agentur dpa.  The team, headed by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani and Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa, held talks with Lebanon’s House Speaker Nabih Berri, premier Fouad Seniora, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, Opposition leader Michela Aoun,  Lebanese Armed Forces chief General Michel Suleiman, Majority Leader Saad Hariri, former president Amin Gemayel and Lebanese forces’  leader Samir Geagea.  The delegation had issued no statements since their arrival in Beirut.  By late evening, there was no apparent breakthrough as the cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora gathered to decide on the next step. Several officials close to the majority and the opposition said the government would likely cancel measures against Hezbollah on Thursday as part of a "package deal" following further meetings. "The government is unlikely to announce any decisions tonight," one official told AFP. "It will probably do so tomorrow as part of a package deal," he added, without elaborating. The cabinet decided to agree on the suggestion of the army commander… which includes the cancellation of the two decisions," the statement, read by Information Minister Ghazi al-Aridi, said. It is also a first step towards easing the broader standoff between Siniora’s government and opposition forces that has left Lebanon without a president since November.

Meanwhile, sources close to Berri told The Daily Star that he told the Arab delegation that the opposition was not trying to realize any political gains from the recent clashes in the country.  The sources added that Berri did not mind holding talks between rival leaders in Doha.  Later on Wednesday, Gemayel said after meeting the Arab delegation at his residence in Sin al-Fil that the first item on the agenda of any dialogue should be Hizbullah’s arsenal.  "We welcome Sheikh Hamad’s proposal to hold dialogue in Doha," Gemayel said. But "before taking part in any dialogue, we need guarantees after Hizbullah’s using of its arms against other Lebanese parties."  "People are worried as a result of Hizbullah’s actions and we need reassurances," he added. "What Hizbullah did left a big bruise in the hearts of many people … A great effort should be made to heal this bruise."  Meanwhile, Aoun said after meeting the delegation at his residence in Rabieh that he will not spare any effort to facilitate the success of the Arab mission.  "I also hope that other parties do all that is necessary to help the Arab delegation," he said. "The current circumstances are very tough and could be even tougher unless some concessions are made." Aoun blamed the recent escalation on the government.  "We have been warning against such behavior for three years," the former army commander said. "A new approach in rule should be adopted."  After meeting Aoun, the delegation headed to meet Geagea at his residence in Zouk Mosbeh. Geagea said after the meeting that any talks between the rival parties should tackle two issues: Hizbullah’s relations with the Lebanese state and a new electoral law for the 2009 parliamentary elections. He said that although he did not mind holding dialogue in Doha, he preferred holding the talks in Lebanon: "I appreciate what our Qatari brothers are doing, but I personally prefer inter-Lebanese dialogue in Lebanon."  Geagea also said that the government did not need to cancel its decisions regarding the airport security chief and Hizbullah’s private telecommunications network.  "The government has referred the decisions to the army, which in turn is in charge of tackling this issue," he said before the moves were rescinded. Wael Abu Faour, a parliamentarian in the ruling coalition, told Reuters after Siniora met the Arab mediators ."The general direction of the Lebanese government is … to put civil peace above all else, including the latest (cabinet) decisions," 

 Lebanon has been largely calm for two days and Hezbollah activists removed some roadblocks on the airport road on Wednesday to give the Arab mediators passage to the city . In what they described as a reciprocal move, pro-government Sunni forces partially lifted their border blockade on the main road link between Beirut and Damascus. Syria threw its weight behind the mediation effort on Wednesday. A foreign ministry statement in Damascus urged all Lebanese parties to cooperate constructively with its proposals. If it succeeds in easing tension, the delegation is expected to invite the rival leaders to Qatar  for talks aimed at resolving their protracted political conflict.  Another political source, speaking before the talks, said the pro-government leaders wanted guarantees Hezbollah would pull out of the streets and vow not to use its guns against its foes before any dialogue.  The recent fighting raised concerns Lebanon was edging towards wider civil strife among Druze and Sunni supporters of the governing coalition and Shi’ites who back Hezbollah.  Saudi Arabia, a backer of the governing coalition, has said Hezbollah’s actions, if backed by Iran, could threaten Tehran’s ties with Arab states. Iran has blamed the United States for the violence in Lebanon. No commercial flights have been scheduled from the country’s only international airport for the seventh straight day, an airport official said.

U.S. President George W. Bush, in Jerusalem to celebrate the anniversary of Israel‘s founding in 1948, accused Iran on Wednesday of using the Islamist Shi’ite Hezbollah to destabilize Lebanon. He said: "This is an Iranian effort to destabilize their young democracy." He said the United States stood by Lebanon, a parliamentary democracy since independence from France in 1943. Iran has rejected accusations from Washington that it is meddling in Lebanon and has blamed the violence on the United States and Israel. "Iran is the only country not interfering in Lebanon," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad    said on Tuesday.  Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, the acting commander of U.S. Central Command, spent Wednesday in Beirut, Lebanon, to discuss the security crisis with officials there and assure them that U.S. military aid will continue, a U.S. military official said. He met Defense Minister Elias Murr and Lt. Gen. Michel Suleiman, the commander of the Lebanese armed forces in the wake of the Lebanese government losing control of part of its capital to the militant group Hezbollah. The trip had not previously been scheduled. It is not clear when it was added to the agenda of the top U.S. military commander for the region.  Discussions centered on continued U.S. military assistance to the Lebanese armed forces in light of the ongoing crisis. "The U.S. government will continue to support the legitimate institutions of the Lebanese government and the Lebanese people as they seek to preserve their independence and security," the military official said. For the last several years, the Defense Department has supplied Lebanese armed forces with ammunition, armored vehicles and weapons.

 Lebanon’s cabinet is likely to cancel measures on Wednesday that angered Hezbollah movement and triggered the worst internal conflict since the country’s civil war, political sources said. You can say it’s a done deal, but we’re waiting for the cabinet meeting," one political source said shortly before Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who is supported by the United States, convened his ministers for talks at 11:30 a.m. EDT. Rescinding a ban on Hezbollah‘s communications network and the sacking of Beirut airport‘s security chief, who is close to the group, is one of Hezbollah’s demands to lift its blockade of the airport and its campaign of civil disobedience. It would also be a first step towards easing a broader 18-month-long standoff between Siniora’s government and opposition forces that has left Lebanon without a president since November. At least 81 people have been killed since violence broke out on May 7 following the cabinet decisions against Hezbollah.

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BEIRUT, Lebanon – The Lebanese army expanded its troop deployment to several tense areas around the country Tuesday, saying its soldiers would use force if needed to impose order. The army has played a central role in defusing the violence that started last Wednesday by calling on armed supporters from both sides to leave the streets. But it has remained neutral in the conflict and did not intervene. The army’s announcement signaled that it could step up its involvement to bring an end to the country’s worst internal fighting since the end of the civil war. Army units will prevent any violations, whether by individuals or groups, in accordance with the law even if this is going to lead to the use of force," said an army statement released late Monday. One reason the army had largely stayed out of the fighting was the fear that its forces could break apart along sectarian lines as they did during the civil war. The army statement said troops would prevent armed civilians from roaming the streets and called on all groups in the country to cooperate. Streets in the capital were busy as more businesses opened, but schools and universities remained closed. Also, many roads were still blocked including the highway leading to the country’s only international airport. The tense areas where troops deployed early Tuesday included the northern city of Tripoli that witnessed heavy clashes the day before. The army also continued its deployment in the mountains overlooking Beirut and several neighborhoods in the capital.

President Bush expressed his support for the Lebanese army on Monday during an interview with Al-Arabiya television, saying Washington would continue to supply and train the country’s forces. "We want to make them better so they can respond," Bush said. The president confirmed that the US military  has moved the destroyer USS Cole  off the coast of Lebanon but said it was "part of a routine training mission that had been scheduled a long time before." Army commander Gen. Michel Suleiman is the consensus candidate for president and the army’s success in calming violence in the country could enhance his chances of being elected. Bush said in his interview that the U.S. would continue its support for the Lebanese government and keep up pressure on Iran and Syria,  The president also called on Arab nations to support Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. Arab foreign ministers met in Egypt on Sunday and pledged to send a delegation to Beirut to help find a solution. The delegation was expected in Beirut on Wednesday. Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim leader Saad al-Hariri pledged on Tuesday there would be no political surrender to what he called a bid by Hezbollah and its Syrian and Iranian backers to impose their will on the nation by force. They simply are demanding that we surrender, they want Beirut to raise white flags… This is impossible," Hariri told a news conference in his first public appearance since Hezbollah swept through Sunni-dominated areas of the capital last week. "They will not be able to obtain Saad al-Hariri‘s signature … on a deed to surrender to the Iranian and Syrian regimes." Lebanon experienced its calmest day since violence broke out on May 7 after U.S.-backed Prime Minister Fouad Siniora outlawed Hezbollah’s communications network and fired Beirut airport’s security chief.  Hezbollah said this was a declaration of war and swiftly took over much of Beirut, crushing pro-government Sunni Muslim gunmen. It then handed over its gains to the army.  Saudi Arabia said that if Iran endorsed Hezbollah’s actions it would affect the Islamic Republic’s ties with the Arab world. "Of course, for Iran to back the coup that happened in Lebanon … will have an impact on its relations with all Arab countries," said Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.  said al-Faisal ‘s claims of Iranian support for Hizbullah’s recent actions in Lebanon were made in anger. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied his country was meddling in Lebanon. According to Ahmadinejad, the Saudi Foreign Minister was not following the orders of Saudi King Abdullah. The Iranian leader conveyed Iran is the only country that does not interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs.French Foreign Minister hinted at a possible U.N. Security Council resolution on Lebanon.  "A resolution, which is still not entirely complete, could be proposed to the Security Council," Kouchner told parliament.

There is no civil authority in the country now, so the army is under tremendous pressure," said Timor Goksell, a security expert and former spokesman of UN peacekeeping forces who coordinate with the military in south Lebanon.  "If they had used their weapons during the clashes, tomorrow there would be no army and no country." But Goksell said the army’s pledge as of the morning of 13 May to "halt violations